Chuck Most

I've been wanting to see this.

Sheesh, Rob, you a freakin' mind reader or something? Those were among the first pieces I tried on the front end. Might need a bit of filing to fit, but might be workable, if not I'm sure I can find something. Also trying something a bit different with the wheels. And yes, I'm planning on making it sit this low- I might even keep the wackiness going and not install any rear tires at all.

Trying for something different with the grille...

Art is right, but there is one other thing, regarding the movie Duel in particular- Steven Speilberg wanted to suggest that the driver of the truck had killed other motorists during his travels, and the plates on the front of the truck implied his other victims.

I don't disagree, but it does seem odd that a somewhat esoteric subject like a salesman's car (NASCAR possibilites notwithstanding) would be kitted before the drop top. It may be true that closed cars outsell convertibles, but Revell already had Tri-Five droptop tooling in their banks (Monogram '55), and a '57 of any sort is pretty much a surefire bet for good sales. Come to think of it, it's weird Revell started there with their new '57 kits when you'd think there'd be more demand for the Bel Air hardtop version. I still do think a '57 Chevy convertible would sell well. As well as a closed version? Maybe not, but the simple fact it's a '57 Chevy above all else would help move more than a few of them.

I'm in the 'tired of '57 Chevys' camp myself, but I'd think such an animal would be a very hot seller. Its kind of suprising we got a 150 Utility Sedan before the drop top, now that it crosses my mind.

A 200 is no further than an e-mail to Ken Kitchen away- any Fox-body Ford variant could fill in most of the blanks.

One of my favorite things about aircraft models is the one thing I suck at, and the main reason I don't build them- doing those subtle paint fades. This one came out great.

Seeing stuff of this caliber makes me wonder why I even bother! I'll have to show this to my neighbor. He owns a 1:1 '66 Toronado in that same color... and his name is Roger Zimmerman. (Cue Twilight Zone music.)

THIS one is dead, but parts of it still have some life.

This one's officially dead- the iffy parts of the AMT body (which made me not want to finish it) and a close encounter with a heavy box full of spare parts (which crushed the roof like a potato chip) did this one in. I'll be using some parts from this in a Revell '72, but this is the last you'll see of this particular '66 body. Handy tip- don't store heavy boxes full of spare parts on a shelf over the corner of your workbench- if you knock one off, bad things happen.

Well, 'aero' for a Paystar, anyway. It's the later-style, somewhat more streamlined front end International used in the '90's. The hood is similar to the one in the link, but has single headlamps. That one might be workable if I can't find the R & C kit, and don't feel like modifying the Ertl kit parts.

I just turned 30 in April, and my rates have gone down- though they're a bit higher than they would have been had I not had a minor fender-bender back in 2009. So it isn't just young drivers who get into fender-benders. And from what I hear, Michigan is kind of screwy with regards to the auto insurance policies it allows anyway, so maybe I'm not the best guy to offer advice! All I can reccomend is to ask the insurance agents about any discounts you may qualify for. Being a new driver, your options may be a bit limited but it never hurts to ask. Barring that, keep yourself out of trouble and wait a few years- age and a clean driving record will help keep your rates down. I would suggest going with a deducable you can actually afford, though, even if going with a higher deductable would help keep the payments down significantly. You'd be paying less per month with a $1000 deductable over a $500 deductable just as an example, but if you are in an accident and can't come up with $1000, is it really worth it?

Very interested in this... and love how low the mockup car sits.

Something I just finished- a quick sketch of a severely cut-down '55 Chrysler with a Dodge Stealth roof. The wheels are based on the wheel covers shown on the box art illustration (but not the wheel covers provided in the kit). I started out wanting to draw a cartoon car, and I suppose this one is a bit cartoony. Might even try something similar as a slammer, I guess we'll see.

I'll be watching this one. Show that Olds-powered Corvette who's boss!

Really nicely detailed kit, especially when you consider its from the early '60's. The suspension can be a bit fiddly because of the delicate parts, but it's nothing that can't be overcome. Really the only way to improve it would be to add some different headlights with clear lenses. It does seem pricey at $33, though- the 'Goodguys' issue is the same as this other than the decals and I see those all the time for less than $20. No idea about Model Roundup, but I'm sure somebody else can chime in with that info.

I'm just wondering if anyone here has (stashed or built) the R&C Trucking transkit for the Ertl Paystar 5000. It was produced during the mid to late '90's, and consisted of the newer-style 'aero' nose, a different cab, and some interior parts, among other things. What I'm wondering is twofold- first of all, how good was the casting quality? And second, I haven't seen any R&C products listed for sale in a long time, so I am assuming the original caster is out of business, but was it ever cast by anyone else?

Here it is... remember, I built this about seven years ago, my standards are a lot higher now!

I know! If I were doing a project like Casey's, I'd have just ham-fisted a Deora six into an otherwise box stock Revell Dart and called it a day.

I've had the same thing happen on a few occasions- sometimes just shaking the flocking in a strainer won't break up the clumps. When that happens, I'll press a clump into the strainer with my thumb or fingertip and kind of 'grind' it back and forth over the strainer's surface. Sometimes just touching it with your thumb will break it up enough, but even the more stubborn clumps are no match for the grinding method.

That they are. If I'm not mistaken, they were also used as the street machine rear tires in some of the 2 in 1 Monogram muscle car kits. Not the greatest tire for either application (light truck or muscle car), really.

It's just a Camaro anyway... you can buy reproduction Camaros nowadays, can't you?

The Testors/Lindberg Charger engines are about the same as the AMT '05 Chrysler engines detail and appearance-wise, if I recall.

Outer wheel diameter is just under 17mm. The wheels are kind of a sloppy fit into the tires, but I've found filing down the wheelbacks (thus narrowing the wheel assembly) helps the outer wheel fit better into the tire.